A few questions about MS Antispyware

[Zislatik]

I work for a State agency that has enterprise level
software licenses for
Windows XP / Office suite / Universal MSDN subscriber. I
have been using the
Microsoft Antispyware Beta on test machines in the
environment with very good
success.

I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask:

1. When will the product move out of Beta1? Is there a
planned move to a
final product or Release Candidate (RC) or another Beta
period (Beta2)?

2. Will our users get a popup from MS, either asking
about the upgrade to
Beta 2 or the full grown product?

3. Will there be a charge for the production version or
will it be included
with one of our various licensed product families?

4. Can (or Should) we use this product enterprise-wide
(deploy to all)? Will
you have any enterprise tools for deployment or
management?

5. Do you guy have any technical information / white
papers / general
information about the direction Microsoft is heading in
the Antivirus /
Antitrojan / Antispyware / Malware/Riskware solutions
for enterprise /
domain level security?

Thanks for any assistance and information you can provide
on this subject
for me, my management is has ask these question of me and
this was the place
that I was directed by support to ask my question.

Thanks,
Zislatik

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'll give this a stab, interspersed--bear in mind that I'm a volunteer, not
a Microsoft employee or spokesperson.

I work for a State agency that has enterprise level
software licenses for
Windows XP / Office suite / Universal MSDN subscriber. I
have been using the
Microsoft Antispyware Beta on test machines in the
environment with very good
success.

I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask:

1. When will the product move out of Beta1? Is there a
planned move to a
final product or Release Candidate (RC) or another Beta
period (Beta2)?

My guess is that there will be a beta2, and fairly soon--given that the
expiration date on Beta1 is close.

2. Will our users get a popup from MS, either asking
about the upgrade to
Beta 2 or the full grown product?

Based on experience, there won't be any notice within the product. And the
new beta will require a download--it won't arrive via any automated update
process.

3. Will there be a charge for the production version or
will it be included
with one of our various licensed product families?

They've consistently said that the prodict will be available without
additional cost for licensed Windows users. That's all we know

They've also said that there will be a centrally managed enterprise version
which won't be cost-free. This would be more suitable for your environment.

They've very recently announced that antispyware protection will be a part
of a new subscription security suite, Windows OneCare. This is kind of an
aside--its not an enterprise product, and its not free--so there will be
some other vehicle.

4. Can (or Should) we use this product enterprise-wide
(deploy to all)? Will
you have any enterprise tools for deployment or
management?

Microsoft's advice is not to. There are substantial issues with enterprise
deployment of the beta as distributed so far. I'd look at this again when
another beta is distributed. See above for (meager!) information about an
enterprise version.

5. Do you guy have any technical information / white
papers / general
information about the direction Microsoft is heading in
the Antivirus /
Antitrojan / Antispyware / Malware/Riskware solutions
for enterprise /
domain level security?

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/isv/analysis.mspx

All the antispyware stuff I'm aware of is in the "athome" branch of
www.microsoft.com. I don't think that the basics are different, in terms of
Enterprise needs, but the specifics and the tools you would want to use, and
Microsoft will produce will be different. Otherwise, I'd point you to
www.microsoft.com/technet/security and say look at stuff from there.

Thanks for any assistance and information you can provide
on this subject
for me, my management is has ask these question of me and
this was the place
that I was directed by support to ask my question.

I'm sorry that I can't be more specific or give more detail. If you want
citations to the original announcements, I've got more material--I've also
got command-lines for unattended uninstalls, which I think will be useful
for any enterprise which has deployed the beta to any extent.

 

[JoeM]

That very a very good detailed answer, I am happy to see that there are
some people in here who cares. Clap, Clap, Clap
Give yourself a pat on the back. Good Job

 

[Bill Sanderson]

There are a number of stalwarts here, but very little actual information to
impart, unfortunately.